Myron Mixon Bringing Serious BBQ to the East Village

A bit of exciting news for barbecue lovers this morning. Myron Mixon, a well-known team leader on the competitive 'cue circuit who won his first whole-hog prize back in 1996, and a judge on BBQ Pitmasters, will be taking over the old Lucky Cheng's space on First Avenue, reports EV Grieve.

The three-story smokehouse will have the same name as the chef's Miami restaurant that opened earlier this month, Pride and Joy. Demolition has begun and Mixon says via Twitter (guys, his handle is @Lord_of_Q) that his plan is to open by May, and as early as March.

To those who worry about this celebrity chef's consistency as he expands his operations to New York, Mixon says he'll be at Pride and Joy II every day for the first three months, then for one week per month after that.

Hey, someone's got to run the barbecue school out of his home in Unadilla, Georgia.